Where to Travel on the Olympic Peninsula: Sol Duc Hot Springs

Get steamed at Sol Duc Hot Springs resort on the Olympic Peninsula

By:
Rebecca Armstrong | March 2014 | FROM THE PRINT EDITION

PHOTO CREDIT: aramark parks and destinations

WHERE: Sol Duc Hot Springs near Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula (12076 Sol Duc Hot Springs Road, Port Angeles; olympicnationalparks.com). WHY: This forested getaway in Olympic National Park opens for the season at the end of March, just in time for a spring awakening. WHAT: Nestled in a valley carved by the mighty Sol Duc River and embraced by old-growth native Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and red cedar evergreens, the resort has provided visitors with access to the therapeutic mineral waters of the Sol Duc Hot Springs since 1912. Rental cabins are conveniently lacking in modern technology (no phones, televisions or radios), so you can leave your obligations at home, soak up the healing waters and make the short hike to Sol Duc Falls. WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Before peeling off of Highway 101 onto the winding Sol Duc road that leads into the rain forest, stop and stretch your legs at historic Lake Crescent Lodge, where you can grab a beverage in the lounge, marvel at the stunning serenity of the glacial lake from the sunroom, or rent a kayak and experience the water up close.